According to a recent study, 88-94% of the plastic which pollutes the ocean originates from 10 specific rivers, with two in Africa: the Nile and the Niger; and 8 of them in Asia: the Yangtze, Indus, Hai He, Ganges, Pearl, Amur, and Mekong.

The reason for these particular rivers resulting in a high plastic pollution rate is due to two main factors: a large surrounding population and poor waste management systems. The largest contributor to plastics in the ocean from these rivers is the Yangtze, the longest river in Asia, 6380 km long, and third longest river in the world. The high population is the main factor here with 500 million people living near or around this river. It is estimated that the Yangtze alone is responsible for up to 480,000 tonnes of plastic entering the ocean per year, or over 30% of plastic entering oceans from rivers annually. The population of China will only continue to increase, likely resulting in an increase in pollution.